The Dimensionality and Reliability of the CAYCI School Climate Experience Survey Middle/High School Student Short Form

There is growing evidence that student experiences of school climate are closely linked to both individual and school-level outcomes. To support data-driven school improvement efforts, it is essential to use reliable and valid measures of school climate, especially brief tools that reduce response burden, ensure accessibility, and enhance feasibility. Using bifactor analysis, this study examined the psychometric properties of the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute School Climate Experience Survey – Middle/High School Student Short Form (CAYCI-SES-SF). Data were collected from 1,509 middle and high school students. Findings indicated the short 29-item version of the survey supports a general factor structure, suggesting it can function as a comprehensive, brief, psychometrically sound tool. The shortened instrument demonstrated strong overall reliability and adequate reliability for some subscales. However, variability in factor loadings and omega coefficients points to the need for further scale refinement. Overall, the study provides initial evidence for the use of the abbreviated CAYCI-SES-SF to assess school climate in educational settings.